I feel light! Almost all my food is gone and I’m flying the last miles to Red’s Meadow, our next rest stop. On the way, I found Fitz and we hiked together for a while. Mash set off early in the morning and was racing faster than ever.
Fitz and I split and then I found a very unlikely trio: Rolls, Royce and Eshi. Eshi not able to hide his pride at how he stealth camped closer to Whitney than the others and thus, reached the top earlier than everyone else, the feat earning him the name Micro Chad. Rolls and Royce did a 10 day food carry, which is even more crazy with the bear can. We never really talked much before, but today we took a break together and I learned how they’re trying to travel around America, doing part time work as a freelance truck driver and a travel nurse respectively. Eventually they want to move to Switzerland. I really need to get a photo with all 3 of them.
In Red’s Meadow, I had the usual giant burger with one of the ‘decadent’ milkshakes. Marble said it was the best burger he’d ever had when he was there last time. As expected, it was just fine, nothing special. If I had a dollar every time someone told me a burger on trail was the best ever, I could eat steaks instead of burgers. Also, the burger came with salad instead of fries, which doesn’t make any sense to me.
To my surprise Dog On was sitting at the table next to us. Hadn’t seen him since Eagle Rock, which seems ages ago. With him were Gopher, Sophia (now Booster) and Veronica (now Feels). Disaster rolled in as well after 6. I bought him a beer, he looked like he needed it. His shoes had completely ripped after Muir Pass, so he had been walking in sandals and flip flops for 2 days, poor guy. I should get a photo with him as well.
The campground nearby only opens tomorrow, so every site is free tonight, woohoow!